Edge reconstruction and emergent neutral modes in integer and fractional quantum Hall phases

Abstract

This paper comprises a review of our recent works on fractional chiral modes that emerge due to edge reconstruction in integer and fractional quantum Hall (QH) phases. The new part added is an analysis of edge reconstruction of the ν = 2/5 phase. QH states are topological phases of matter featuring chiral gapless modes at the edge. These edge modes may propagate downstream or upstream and may support either charge or charge-neutral excitations. From topological considerations, particle-like QH states are expected to support only downstream charge modes. However the interplay between the electronic repulsion and the boundary confining potential may drive certain quantum phase transitions (called reconstructions) at the edge, which are associated to the nucleation of additional pairs of counter-propagating modes. Employing variational methods, here we study edge reconstruction in the prototypical particle-like phases at ν = 1, 1/3, and 2/5 as a function of the slope of the confining potential. Our analysis shows that subsequent renormalization of the edge modes, driven by disorder-induced tunnelling and intermode interactions, may lead to the emergence of upstream neutral modes. These predictions may be tested in suitably designed transport experiments. Our results are also consistent with previous observations of upstream neutral modes in these QH phases and could explain the absence of anyonic interference in electronic Mach-Zehnder setups.